The sunlight was in my eyes, but I didn't care. As the coffin was lowered into the ground, I glanced at the headstone.

With a dull thud, the coffin was at the bottom of the grave. I waved away the ponies who had lowered it, indicating I wished to be left with my own thoughts.

I grabbed one of the nearby spades and got to work filling in the hole. After throwing in the first load of dirt, another one soon joined it. I spun around to see Applejack.

"Applejack," I said, "I thought I made it clear that I wanted to be alone for this?"

She nodded.

"Ah know ya did, darlin'," she replied, "but Ah'm still gonna help."

I smiled.

"Thanks." I said, and turned to the headstone.

"I was a complete dick to him all his life." I said. "Hopefully this will go some way to making amends for that."

Applejack tossed some soil into the grave.

"It's a start," she said, "and Ah reckon he'd appreciate it."

I smiled and allowed Applejack to buck the remaining soil into the grave, smoothing it down with the flat of the spade.

"I may not have shown it," I said, "but I did respect my brother. In some ways, at least."

"How so?" asked Applejack.

"When we were kids, I admired his rebellious streak. How he was his own person and didn't take shit from anybody. But once I saw what that led to, I decided I didn't want to end up like him."

Applejack nuzzled my leg as I continued.

"I never really told him that. Part of me thinks that if I did, he would have realised that someone cared. And he would have changed his ways."

"Ya mean he wouldn't have been a bad person?"

"Exactly. He would have been a good man. He wouldn't have robbed stores, or sold drugs, or beat people up..."

"... or shot Geo." Applejack finished my sentence.

"Right!" I said. "Things would have been so much better for him."

Applejack looked at me with a solemn expression on her face.

"But, darlin'," she said quietly, "if Geo hadn't have been shot, he wouldn't have come ta Equestria. Which means he wouldn't have tried ta get back so he could be with Twilight."

"Which means I wouldn't have been assigned to gain his trust, which in turn means that I wouldn't have followed him here ... meaning I never would have met you."

"Exactly." Applejack nuzzled my leg again.

"So, in a bizarrely twisted way," I said, "Derek being the way he was ... that was a good thing?"

"Yeah," Applejack replied, "I guess it was."

I looked at the grave and put a hand on the headstone.

"I'm sorry, Derek." I said quietly. "I really am."

I looked towards Applejack.

"I can't change the past, that much I do know. But I do know that your actions led me here. And for that I thank you. You died to give me a new life, and I promise you I will not waste it."

I hoisted Applejack onto my shoulders.

"I promise I'll visit you every week." I said. "It won't make up for years of torment, but it'll be a start."

I walked out of the cemetery and began walking into town.

"That was touchin'." Applejack said, dabbing at her eyes with a hoof. "But what are ya gonna do now?"

I looked up at her.

"As I said, Derek gave me a chance at a new life." I replied. "So I intend to enjoy it while I can."

"Ah'm glad ta hear it." Applejack said.

As we continued walking, I reflected on what I had been saying back at the cemetery.

And how I meant every word of it.

I have a whole new life ahead of me to enjoy.

And I'm going to make damned sure I enjoy it.